Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]The settlement that Arington and the Skins reached over his grievance had something like this in the package:


If Arrington makes the Pro Bowl twice in the next three years,k he gets to void the rest of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent.


Hmmm... It will be hard for him to make the Pro Bowl on the bench. So, as long as the defense is playing really well without him, what is the motivation for the Skins to put him on the field?

If the defense stumbles, they'll go to him for help; but until then, it won't surprise me to see Arrington on the field for less than a dozen snaps of the ball.[/QUOTE]

That verbage in the contract sounds correct from what I've read, but I just can't imagine Gibbs or Williams not playing LaVar because of language in his contract. Whether the defense is doing good or otherwise. I think they want to win so badly, and win right now that couldn't possibly be a factor in holding him out of the line up.

That would shock me if that were the case.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]The settlement that Arington and the Skins reached over his grievance had something like this in the package:


If Arrington makes the Pro Bowl twice in the next three years,k he gets to void the rest of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent.


Hmmm... It will be hard for him to make the Pro Bowl on the bench. So, as long as the defense is playing really well without him, what is the motivation for the Skins to put him on the field?

If the defense stumbles, they'll go to him for help; but until then, it won't surprise me to see Arrington on the field for less than a dozen snaps of the ball.[/QUOTE]
I hope you're not implying that he isn't on the field for any reason other than a performance issue. I could make the opposite argument that they're paying him way too much to sit the bench but who honestly believes he isn't playing because of contract issues? I am worried he is on the bench because that knee, while healed, isn't the same as it was before and now he can't get the job done. I would be stunned beyond belief if it came out they were sitting him for anything other than performance issues.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=Sociofan]Damn I wish he were on the field. He's too good to be sitting on the bench.[/QUOTE]


I tend to doubt that, as everyone knows I am the president of the Lavar is the most overated player in the NFL fan club, I find it hard to believe that a coach like Gregg Williams who is maybe the best defensive mind in the NFL, and who also considers all of his players starters who contribute in the game, and plays as many people as he can depending on what circumstances are presented, will not only not start Lavar, but wont even play him, I actually like Lavar as a person, he's a funny guy, and has a down to earth personality, but Lavar the football player has been so grossly overhyped it's ridiculous, does anyone think as I stated time and again in the offseason that Lavar could be very effectivly replaced by nobodies isn't true? Because that's what happened last year, and is also happening again this year.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=offiss]I tend to doubt that, as everyone knows I am the president of the Lavar is the most overated player in the NFL fan club, I find it hard to believe that a coach like Gregg Williams who is maybe the best defensive mind in the NFL, and who also considers all of his players starters who contribute in the game, and plays as many people as he can depending on what circumstances are presented, will not only not start Lavar, but wont even play him, I actually like Lavar as a person, he's a funny guy, and has a down to earth personality, but Lavar the football player has been so grossly overhyped it's ridiculous, does anyone think as I stated time and again in the offseason that Lavar could be very effectivly replaced by nobodies isn't true? Because that's what happened last year, and is also happening again this year.[/QUOTE]
I can't argue with that other than to say that maybe he just can't be the same player he was before with the banged up knee. I have to imagine if he could rush the passer like has done in the past for us he'd be on the field. I think this is a health issue and if not a health issue it is an issue where the knee is healed but damaged so much it has reduced his effectiveness.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=12thMan]That verbage in the contract sounds correct from what I've read, but I just can't imagine Gibbs or Williams not playing LaVar because of language in his contract. Whether the defense is doing good or otherwise. I think they want to win so badly, and win right now that couldn't possibly be a factor in holding him out of the line up.

That would shock me if that were the case.[/QUOTE]I would agree it does not make sense to pay a player that much money just to ride the bench. Its like the same argument that Gibbs put in Brunell because he picked him and gave him such a large contract. I think they maybe saving Lavar for the right game because he is not playing teams will not game plan for him.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=FRPLG]I can't argue with that other than to say that maybe he just can't be the same player he was before with the banged up knee. I have to imagine if he could rush the passer like has done in the past for us he'd be on the field. I think this is a health issue and if not a health issue it is an issue where the knee is healed but damaged so much it has reduced his effectiveness.[/QUOTE]


The thing is we are not hearing that from either side, and it's not like Lavar has had reconstructive knee surgery, he say's he's 100%, the team hasen't said otherwise, in fact what they have said is Lavar has to learn what we [Williams] want's from him, apparently he's having a major problem figuring that out.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

I don't know. Lavar said that he and the coaches aren't even really talking with one another about this. The Redskins organization made a substantial financial commitment to him which tells me that they see him as an integral part of their team. How can coaches just refuse to communicate with an integral part of the team? I guess we as fans can only speculate, but this just does not smell right.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=firstdown]I would agree it does not make sense to pay a player that much money just to ride the bench. Its like the same argument that Gibbs put in Brunell because he picked him and gave him such a large contract. I think they maybe saving Lavar for the right game because he is not playing teams will not game plan for him.[/QUOTE]


Come FD, I think your really stretching on this one, kind of like the argument that Gibbs is keeping teams in games because he doesn't want to reveal our double secret offensive scheme because he's saving it for the super bowl.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

[QUOTE=Sociofan]I don't know. Lavar said that he and the coaches aren't even really talking with one another about this. The Redskins organization made a substantial financial commitment to him which tells me that they see him as an integral part of their team. How can coaches just refuse to communicate with an integral part of the team? I guess we as fans can only speculate, but this just does not smell right.[/QUOTE]


I wonder if Lavar has found a plasma tv at his doorstep yet? :laughing2

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

:laughing- Awww man. That's just not funny, so I shouldn't be laughing.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

12th Man/FRPLG:

I don't know why Arrington is not on the field; only Gibbs and Willliams know that.

Last year, the Redskins defense was really, really good, LaVar Arrington contributed next to nothing to their being really, really good. So, the coaching staff has some reason to suspect that they can have a really, really good defense on the field with LaVar Arrington on the sidelines or in the owners' box or at Redskins' Park or in Lower Slobbovia. They already did that last year.

Now it is 2005. Warrick Holdman played well in the exhibition games and LaVar Arrington's knee required him to ease on through some of the workouts. So, it's time to name a starting unit and Gibbs and Williams sit down to make up the first string. Remember, Gibbs wears the hat of Coach Gibbs and also the hat of President of Football Operations Gibbs.

IF Williams tells Gibbs that Williams believes that the defense will be just fine with Holdman at starting LB, let's IMAGINE what Joe Gibbs does. Remember, this is IMAGINATION because we cannot read minds. And remember, the premise here is that Williams believes that the defense is perfectly OK with Holdman in the starting line-up and Arrington playing only a little bit.

Gibbs has two choices; he can tell Williams that he wants Arrington on the field or he can go along with Williams.

Choice #1 - Overrule Willliams and put LaVar on the starting unit:

Pro: You get a physically gifted football player out there on the field.
You "get your money's worth" from your highest plaid player.

Con: You will have a less than fully happy Defensive Coordinator if you overrule him.
You will have to pay Arrington even more money if he achieves the incentive levels in his contract.
You may put Arrington a year closer to leaving the team as a free agent if he plays and plays really well.


Choice #2 - Go along with the recommendation of Defensive Coordinator

Pro: Happier coaching staff
You have one hell of a guy on the bench to provide a "shot in the arm" for the defense if they ever falter.
You can sit back and see how the season unfolds. If the defense is strong, you just let things keep on keeping on; if they hit a rough spot, you can be the guy who "makes the tough call" and insert Arrington into the lineup.

Con: You have to listen to media gurus like Doc Walker and Al Koken wonder why all this is happening.


So, if you were Joe Gibbs and you got that recommendation from Gregg Williams, what would you have done?

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

Curmudgeon, I don't think this is about Gibbs versus Williams. I think it's more about what has happened that Williams has lost faith in Lavar. If you have a 3 time Pro Bowler in his prime sitting on the bench, aren't you at least intrigued by what might happen when you put him on the field healthy?

I think we are all just curious about WHY Lavar is not getting the snaps we all think he's earned.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

I remember seeing Gregg Williams pulling LaVar out of Dallas game after just 2 plays. Williams made some kind of "cut-throat" gesture to say "You are done playing." I just get the feeling that LaVar is unable to play within Williams' scheme.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

Me too, Kev. I simply think Arrington wants to be the star and that doesn't include buying into the scheme and playing his part no matter how large or small. I think he wants sacks from an upright position and bonecrushing hits on RBs. Problem is, he can be caught out of position (over-runs the play) and burned. So I can understand why he's off.

The problem is -- he's not going anywhere. Personally, I would have traded him before giving him that ridiculously huge contract because I feel his contributions aren't worth a portion of our cap that large.

Re: Lavar on 980 @ 4pm
 

I think Lavar just wants to help us win, when I read his comments I heard a guy frustrated that he hasn't been able to do more to help the team win but a guy ready and willing to do just that.

As for the rumor about his unwillingness to play special teams, I know at least one punter who would argue with that. Once LA hits the field, the opponents will pay. I don't know what it is, my only hope is to see Lavar back on the field knocking qbs into retirement. that's it.